E3M9: Lake of Fire (No End In Sight)

E3M9: Lake of Fire is the fifth map of the Woe episode of No End In Sight. It was designed by Christopher Lutz. It is also featured in Doom the Way id Did as the level with the same name.

Despite being in the E3M9 slot, this map is considered part of the normal map progression and can be accessed via the "normal" exit from and  (as well as the only exit from ). As M5 and M6 are both treated as secret maps, accessing this level from M4 or M5 will cause you to skip part of the episode.

Essentials
Go through the door and you will see a set of gray steps in front of you. Climb these steps and open the door at the top to confront some monsters guarding a shotgun and health bonuses, then go through the opening in the east wall to reach a walkway around a damaging blood pool. Step round to the north-east corner of the walkway to find the blue skull key - watch out for a cacodemon that appears in the cage inside the blood pool, as well as some imps that are released from a monster closet.

Leave the building and head south from the start point to a door between two blue firesticks, then go through to a room with a cage holding two imps, or a cacodemon on Hurt Me Plenty (HMP) skill level or higher. Head west through a door then walk between two red flesh columns before going west over some lava streams to confront two demons, or a baron of Hell on HMP or higher. After crossing the streams, turn left at the junction then go through a door to a large room with a lava river running through it. Walk through an opening in the south wall (between two blue firesticks) then climb some stairs, kill a waiting spectre and press the skull switch behind it to raise a bridge over the lava river. Cross the bridge to find the yellow skull key on a step, but watch out for two monster closets that open either side of you when you approach the key.

Return to the building where you found the blue key, watching out for any monsters that have been released, and go through the north-west door which requires the yellow key. Follow the bridge to the exit door, kill a demon waiting behind it on HMP or higher then press the skull switch to finish the level.

Other points of interest
A shotgun can be found in an alcove behind the starting building. From this alcove, go east through a wall opening to find a platform holding a rocket launcher - press the skull switch on the west wall to raise some steps leading up to the platform.

After entering the blue key building, go into the south-west room and follow the passage round to find a chaingun. Taking the weapon will lower a nearby platform with zombies and imps.

In the room with the red flesh columns, head north-east to find a partial invisibility at the end of a bridge. The bridge will drop away when you cross it.

Secrets

 * 1) Go behind the north-western building in the main area on the left side, and you will find a megaarmor. (sector 244)
 * 2) East of the north-western building and south-east of the northern-most building is an opening of the rocks accessible from the lava. Go in here to obtain a backpack. (sector 39)
 * 3) In the room with the blue key, drop into the blood behind the cage and pick up a computer area map. (sector 80)
 * 4) After opening the blue door, head for the southeastern-most door here. Quickly run through this door into the next room with caged enemies and a chainsaw. You will notice that the north-eastern cage has lowered, so quickly run to it before it rises and a passage will open allowing you to get a supercharge. (sector 222)
 * 5) In the area that has a bridge over lava in the southern part of the level, head to the eastern part of the bridge to open an alcove, if it has not been opened already. Inside this alcove, one of the walls does not have green stains on it. Open it for a passage of health bonuses, and open the next door to retrieve a plasma gun. (sector 198)
 * 6) In the yellow key room, fall into the lava river and head northward until you find a megaarmor. (sector 13)

Current records
The records for the map at the Doom Speed Demo Archive are:

The data was last verified in its entirety on December 21, 2021.

Player spawns
This level contains four spawn points:
 * 1) facing west. (thing 4)
 * 2) facing west. (thing 5)
 * 3) facing west. (thing 6)
 * 4) facing west. (thing 7)

Things
This level contains the following numbers of things per skill level:

Inspiration and development
This level draws some inspiration from Doom's, with its large lava lake and structures within it that open to reveal monsters.